Splining machine



- De 1f 23, 1930. Q w CARR ET AL 1,785,728

SPLINING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 23, 1930. c.w. CARR ET Al.

SPLINING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1928 4 SheetsSheet 2 Dec. 23, 1930. c.w. CARR ET A1. 1,785,728

' SPLINING MACHINE Filed April 16, 1928 4 Shams-Sheet I5 y mw! iwf THE/2ATTP/YEK Patented Decf23, 1930 CHARLES w. CARR AND ELWoon I. TRIFF,

"-UINITEDL- `STATI-:fs PATENT OFFICE or sUsANvILLE, CALIFORNIA,AssIGNoRs oF CNE-FOURTH 'ro FRANK E. .'IIUTCHENs, CF sAN FRANCISCO,CALIFORNIA, AND Y .ONE-FOURTH To EARL E. BIRMINGHAM, oF sUsANvILLE,CALIFORNIA rsFLININGry `App1ication led April 16,

. Our invention relatesl to machines for joiningiboards by means ofAsplines or strips run-' ning transverselyithereof and set in grooves inthe ends of the boards, vand particularlyv to machines for automaticallyi producing box shocks joined in this manner.

An object of our invention isk tol produce a ,machine-which will occupya much smallery floor space than those previously used.`

Another object of our invention is to produce amachine which willinserta plurality of splines simultaneously. y l

` Still another object of our invention is to l produce a machinewhichis not liablel to jam,

and in which discontinuitiesof operation rdue toshut-downs from thiscause are reduced to a minimum. f

A further object of our invention is to produce amachine which ywillapply a .uniform coating of glue or other'adhesive to rthespline f.groove practically without wastage.

l valuable features,

ur inventionk possessesother objects and someof which will be set fforth inthe following description'of our inv of the arrow/,4L of 1.',rIfhe stockjhoppervv fonthe line 5 5 of Figl.

vention which' is beunderstoodthat we dov not limit ourselves to theshowing made by the said descripticmv andA drawings, as we kmay yadoptfvarylng forms of our invention within' the scope of/ the claims. I j i."Referring to the drawings; i Y Fig. `l vis a plan-'view of amachineembody,- ing ourinventionj;

Fg. ,2 is a vview'k inr longitudinal. vertical section, the plane ofsection being theline 2-y2ofFig.1." Fig. y3 is a view on anenlargedscale, show-,1, fing a horizontal section of 'our gluing means. 1 Fig. 4isan elevationtakenin the direction is shown'insectionfin this ligure,to vdisclose the constructlon.

more Yclearly Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view takenV I Splining`machinesare 'noty` new. i gen-kr eral,lhoweverthefshooks to vbe splinedhave been fed either singly or ingroiips ofthe'requiredsize Yby dogscarriedyby av chain conveyor. Y The conveyor bore the shocks past.'H

strongly. The result of feeding mechanism frequently jammed, and

with the ordinary illustrated in the 'drawings' Vi'oriiiing part .of thespecification..` It is to MACHINE 1928. Serial No. 270,453.

.succeeding spline. The shooks are made in double thickness and arere-sawed after splining.v The machines inserted but one pair of splinesat a time, and therefore almost a complete duplicate equipment wasnecessary to insert the second pair of splines.

As the glue was applied 'to the splines, in the course of feeding themto the grooves they frequently adhered to each other quite this was thatthe the resultingshut-downs reduced the output of these machines by from30% to 50%. In

` many yinstances this reduction of output.rep

resented the margin of profit, and made it impossible for the splinedshooks to compete y solid shook. Experience has shown that our machineis capable of sustained operation at from 90% to 95% of its theoreticalcapacity, giving an assured margin of profit, and making it possible toutilize economically for this purpose what Vwould otherwise` be wastemateria Invbroadly inclusive terms, our invention f r4comprises' a tableor frame on which are mounted the variousele'ments of our device. At oneend`of the table is a hopper for con- -taining the shooks to be splinedand means are'provided for feeding these'sh'ooks onto ithe table;y Areciprocating slide pushes the splines thus fed along the table. A sawlis vprovided for trimming them to exact length,

and guides for holding them in alinement.

Each shook lies transverse to itsy direction of travel, and is pushedforward by the one be- I hind it,fth us forming anuninterrupted suc- YThe shocks .pass between cession of sh'ooks.` a pair of grooverheads,which form'two o1 f'more parallel grooves in their ends. The

'spacing between these grooves is an integral multiple of their width.yThe shocks then pass gluepots'lfromwhich the glue or other adhesive iskliowed into the grooves, wastage` f bolts'16.V Beneath frame-extensionvided head then drives the splinesv intoplace, f

- so 'that the shocks arie tightly pressed together.

being prevented by the close contiguity of the shocks.V Y j f The shooksnext pass between splinehoppers7 which feed the spline verticallydownward bv their own weight into position in'y 5 front of the grooves.A hammer having a dithe lowest spline in. the hopper entering the bottomgroove', thel nextY spline orY splines serving va-s aV spacer andthethirdor next reg-y istering spline entering Athe second "groove VIf morethan two grooves are used. alternate splines serveas'spacers andnon-successive splines are driven into thegrooves. Theham# mers on eachside act simultaneously. and are timedto actwhenthe reciprocating feedslide has reached its forward limitof travel. A reciprocating stop onthe table,'\vvorking` in unison .withlthe feed slide, checks the advanceofthe shocks j ust beforethe hammers strike,

at-'that inst-ant.

The ent-ire lmachine is adjustable to take various sizes offra'w stockand to yturnout v arious widths, lengths land thicknesses of cornpletedshocks.- j 'f In zmore detailedterrns, a preferred embodimentof ourinvention comprises a baseframevor table 6 having atthe input enda".Hshaft a a initerv gear 28, meshing with the g`ea'r'29l onz Y'a shaft36,7driven preferably by thespur gears yside extension 7 fo`n 'which ismounted the stock hopper. The side walls and front wall- 9 Vof thehopper are fixed, but vwithin the hop-V per isy an auxiliary wall r11which is'I adjust.

able bymeans ofi-the bolts 1.2 passing thru Aslots 13 in the ywall 9.YVTheposition of the auxiliary wall is determinedby lthe widthv of vtheshook tobe produced.

accordance with the length ofthedesired shook and v,clamped by ,l then'lock- 7 works the Vcross-feed" slide 17.V .The functionfof this'slideisto force the stock. from the hopper thru` theisl'ot 18 'and' onto'thetable 6. Y Avreciprocating' motion is imparted to theslide' byy a link`19 lpivotally`l mounted at itsrear edge. `VThe link inturnis i pivotedto an` arm 21 which rocks onja bearingV 22 on the licor of the frame *6,and is driven by aconnectin'g-iiod Sffromthecrank-24.A A

turnbuckle 26 isV provided for- ,adjusting the length of Vthevconnecting rojd. V I The-crank 2451s' mounted o theendi of a lThe otherend ofthis shaft Vcarries f 'arma' as from diameter 39.' shares? anddrives la connecting rod 47, adjustablebyfaf Y turnbuckle 48, arm'49,Alinkjl andfslideg 36 are journaled in bearing bracket-sV 41,142,

43 'and 44 secured'to .thebase'framed f The shaft 36""ca'rriesavcrank'46,V which similar in general to kthe crossffeed mechi'r-A stockVon Vt -the side. is laterally adjustable alongthe slots 61 and ,by thesprings" 71 Also instable within thehopper is the stock table114 which4s slides in the-s101315 in the walls, the table befingset in l y"""llfth the stock table and top ofthe e Wa so e g s glue"V can escap'e,1a'ndSmau Thissen Contact with lthe shocks hoppers nism. The link 51 howeverisconnected t'oi i the arm 49 by a resilient joint comprising a A slot53y andspringf54 working@ against the pin-56.

The slide stitutes the main feed ofthe machine; driving the stockforward by means of 1 spring dogs `56 andV 59. The dogs .are beveled`.toi-

y52Vworks vin ways 57, v and conward theback andside-.soas to overridethe he back stroke and asy it isfed from The dog4` 5s is sied, the dog59 62 to accommodate various lengths of stock..A v

Y Urged forward by the slide 52 the stock 'is forced past the fingeractuated bytheV Y'spring 64, which vpressesV the stock firmly againstthe guides 66. 'It next enters beneath ythe pressure'heads 67 :whichvholdit tightly against' thel tablet as it trimmed to 'acfcurate'-length by the saw68 drivenbylth'e motor 69. The pressure headsare actuated;l

working against the .supporting brackets the ends of the'stock pass downlthe chute From this pointon alinementbythe guide 7,4 c'oacting' withtheguide 66.f

or 'splin'eways'in 'the ends f the stock, which is next'pushedfpast thegluepots S6' and 87.

72.' 'The'triinniings from The groover heads k81 landjEQ,r driven bymotors 83 and 84, formthegrooves 9c the 'i stock isheld in The gluepotscomprise'preferablj.rectanguiar cans;'each'mounted'with one'fac'e inregister ywith the guides 66 ly.

slot is fastened the tongue er'aloly of flexible' materia lf `-arched'over .the

slot'fas show/nin 3. f The tongue enters`,1 i and laterally' fillsY thegroove forming with roove aV reservoir which is completely filled by theadhsive. The upperand 'lower walls ofthis reservoir; formed by thegrooveinovepast theft'ongue, wliiclifree'` 'arid @terechte-.j These"faces are provided with (slots 88', equal in widthairid positioned inValinement Y with ythe'splineways.y

Onu each side bf the 89,- whiehis pref;

lie

ta'ins most-of the adhesive withinfitsloop,1

but allows angv wallsof 'the groove;rv vvsjeachpiece of stock fis,plesed forward by the 'there is fno vinterveiling gap ythru which theons terrina a,

"the was'tage is(` very their reduce-fthe liabiltif VThe stock now.

and98,

of splines 101., Tlie` hoppers lare' adjustable]` Ito" various widths ofsplnesby meansfof'thegbolts 102. The 'channels themselves are haring'film to remain on the f iisA wastage is caught and reitained-#systeueftmughei. i. nime-ef Stinfuif. of'wstagetheg sleepers?ssldaby m0. Itd Ofi th, WifS.

93 pressing it into intimate# and th-esem mag "movesft'o a position in Y`register with the `spli ne'hoppejrsQ'Thespline comprise verticalchaiinels'96,-97 99'e'ac'h pair ofwhichholds acolumn mounted on blocks103, which are adjustable along the grooves 104 in the tops of theguides 66 and 74. Stay bars 106vand 107 giverigidity to the hoppers.

The splines are driven from double driving heads passages k109yextending blow.. Because the space between the spline grooves is equalto the width of the splines the second spline in each hopper holds thethird in proper position to be driven into the upper groove, itselffalling into vplace to be' driven into the lower groove 'm the neXtvshook upon the withdrawal of the hammer. The hammers are driven from themotor 39 and are timed with the feed slides. A shaft 117 is journaled inthe brackets 41 and 118 and driven bythe spur gears 119 and 121 from theshaft 27.' Another shaft 122, journaled in the brackets 118, 123 and 124is driven from the shaft 117 thru the spur gears 126 and 127. Shaft 122has a squared portion 128 which carries the opposed eccentrics 129.

The-eccentric rods 130, adjustable by turnbuckles 131 reciprocate thearms 132 which rock on the hinge joints 133 on the bottom of the baseframe. The arms drive the hami f mers by the pivotally connected links134.

'Ihe squared shaft 128 also carries a cam 13G whose position isadjustable along the shaft and which is locked by the set screw 137.vvrIhe cam operates the reciprocating stop v timed with the main feed,to rise the 138, which it engages by means of the roller 139. The stopworks vertically in the guideblock 141, which is adjustablelongitudinally of the frame in the slots 142. The stop is as the latteris approaching the end of its forward stroke. It checks the gluedshooksin front of thev hammers, and as the main-feed slide continues slightlyto advance, the spring 54 takes up the motion, and the stock is heldtightly compressed at the instant the splines are being driven home.rIhe stop then withdraws below the surface of the table and at the nextforward stroke of the main-feed slide the completed shook' is dischargedvfrom the end ofthe machine.V Y Y j YBesides ythe adjustments ofhoppers, feed slidesand stop, which allow the machine to be set forshooks of different length, different widths'of shook can also beaccommodated. T-slots 143 are provided in the table in which guide 66can be set at any desired point for this purpose.' When the guide 66` ismovedlit-carries withit the gluepot 87 and the hoppers 'ilriltio thesplineways bythe hammers 108. e

ofthe hoppers and the I claim:

yr1.. A device for applying .a fluid ina groove, comprising a reservoirfor the fluid, having a slot in register with the groove, a

strip arched ,over said slot and adapted to enter the groove, and meansfor feeding a grooved article past the slot.

In a splining machine; means for feedan uninterrupted succession ofshocks thruthe machine, means for' grooving the `ends of the shooks, anadhesive reservoir having a slot in register with the groove, and astrip arched over said slot and adapted to enter the groove. i.

3.` `In a splining machine; means for feeding an uninterruptedsuccession of shocks thru the machine, means for forming a plurality ofspaced grooves in one end of the shocks, means for applying an Yadhesivein the grooves, a hopper for feeding a succession of splines in front ofsaid grooves, and means' for forcing non-successive `splines from saidhopper into said grooves.

4. In a splining machine; means for feeding anV uninterrupted successionof shooks thru the machine, means for forming a pluf sion of splines infront of said grooves, means for forcing non-successive splines fromsaid hopper into said grooves, and means for retaining an intermediatespline within the hoppen l 5. In a splining machine; means for feedingan uninterrupted succession of shooks thru the machine, means forforming a plurality of spaced grooves in one end of the shocks, meansfor applying an adhesive in the grooves, a hopper for feeding asuccession of splines in front of said grooves, and a hammer having adivided head for driving non-successive splines into said grooves.

6.' In a splining machine; means for feeding an uninterrupted successionof shocks thru the machine, means for forming a pair of grooves in oneend of the shook, the spacing of said grooves being equal to theirwidth, -means for applying an adhesive in the grooves, a hopper fordelivering a succession of splines in front of said grooves, and meansfor forcing non-successive splines into said grooves.

7. A method of applying an adhesive in a groove which comprises forminga reservoir whose walls comprise an arched strip entering the groove anda portion of the walls of the groo`ve,\ ovving adhesive into saidreservoir," and moving thefgroove yand strip rela tively to each otherso that all portions of the sidewalls of the groove successivelyComprise thel reservoir Walls. i A

8; A method of applying an adhesive in a groove which comprises forminga'reservoir Whose Walls comprise a tongu'ej entering the groove' andafpertion ofthe Walls ofthe 10 groove7 flowing adhesive intosaidfreservoir,

and'moving the groove and striprelatvely 1 to each other 'so that allportions of the side Walls of the groove successively comprisethereservoir Walls. Y Y 9. A device for applying a fluid in a groovecomprising a reservoir for the Vfluid having a slot in V.register Withthe groove, means kfor moving the groovedv articles past the slot, andmeans adj aoent the slot for preventing the Contact of the lli'id Withthe back of the'groove. n y y 10. The method of simultaneously feeding 7y two splinesVv into complementary grooves which consists in forming astack of the splines, passing the grooved articles past said stack, andsimultaneously displacing'V non-successive splines from the stack intovthe grooves. y

.f 11. The process of inserting a plurality oi 3o splines into the edgeof a' shook Whichcomprises forming grooves in the shook `separated hy aspace Whichis an integral multiple of the spline thickness, forming thesplines into a stack, moving the shook intoV 3b proximity With thestack, and simultaneo,uslyr displacing non-successive splines from the'stack' into the grooves. Y c In testimony -whereof, We have hereuntoset our hands. 40 c. CHARLES W. CARR. f ELWOOD I. TRIPP.

Y Gig

